We are delighted to have joining us as a guest speaker Armando Raish from Biotecture, who will be talking about living walls and sustainability. (http://www.biotecture.uk.com/) Biotecture is a designer and supplier of hydroponic, modular living wall systems, an innovative, UK based company, managing projects across the country, and working with partners in Scandinavia, mainland Europe, North America and the Middle East. Their vision is to transform urban architecture for the well-being of people and planet through innovative use of vertical greening. They work on principles of collaboration, integrity and excellence, believing that their shared expertise will bring the best results.

Image is from the http://www.biotecture.uk.com/living-walls/ page.

Please register online to attend – only registered attendees will be allowed into Malta House. Late registrations may not be allowed entry. Guests must either be invited or accompanied by a named MBN member. If you wish to attend but do not know any MBN members, kindly contact us at events@maltabusinessnetwork.com

Please note you will also need to carry a photo ID for security purposes.

https://d39vbg112gu39.cloudfront.net/app/uploads/2018/05/30103824/aidan-bartos.jpg14672200Charles Salibahttps://d39vbg112gu39.cloudfront.net/app/uploads/2017/11/16110254/logo-11.pngCharles Saliba2018-05-30 10:54:082018-05-30 10:55:29Out of the Drawing Board and into the Fire

It is fair to say that the Maltese construction industry needs to work on its image and move from what is currently perceived asa speculative entity that seeks to exploit and disrupt our islands’ limited resources to one that is perceived to be key contributor in positively shaping and improving our built environment. In the UK similar ‘image’ issues have since 1997 been addressed through the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS –https://www.ccscheme.org.uk) which in the CCS’ own words ‘If all construction sites and companies presented an image of competent management, efficiency, awareness of environmental issues and above all neighbourliness, then they would become a positive advertisement, not just for themselves but for the industry as a whole.’ Words that surely resonate with the image that needs to be presented by the Maltese construction industry.

The CCS scheme is in essence very simple. Any stakeholder in the construction industry registers with the CCS and agrees to abide with the Code of Considerate Practice when undertaking construction work. The Code of Considerate Practice covers the following five principles 1. Care about appearance 2. Respect the Community 3. Protect the environment 4. Secure everyone’s safety and 5. Value the workforce. Adherence to these principles is monitored as construction works progress by CCS inspectors who give a score out of 10 to reflect adherence to each principle. It is quite common in the UK for clients to make achieving a minimum CCS score (e.g. 35/50) a requirement of the construction contract.

Given the inherent simplicity of this scheme, key stakeholders within the Maltese construction industry have a great opportunity to show leadership by embracing and promoting the CCS principles above. Some implementation ideas that come to mind include

The Government (as construction client) requesting adherence to these principles when commissioning construction work

The Kamra Tal-Periti encouraging Periti to include these principles as part of tender documentation

Malta Developers Association members could commit (as part of their membership) to adhere to some of the principles above

The BICC’s Advisory Board consists of 25 stakeholders within the Maltese building industry representing regulators, consultants, educational institutions, employers, developers and financial institutions all of which contribute to support the BICC’s mission of ‘monitoring the building industry and to advise policy makers on ways to enhance it as a strong social and economic contributor to improve sustainable development’.

On his re-appointment Perit Saliba said, “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to once again work closely with the BICC’s Executive Chairperson and contribute to the BICC Advisory Board by bringing an international viewpoint to local issues. This also continues to put in practice one of the Malta Business Network’s key aims of encouraging and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and ideas between UK and Malta based professionals.”

Members of the MBN Property and Development Community met on the 09 November 2017 for their final drinks for the year at GŎNG Bar, located on level 52 within The Shard, London. The GONG Bar is the highest hotel bar in Western Europe and offers incredible views across the city of London. In keeping with the tradition of having drinks in places of architectural interest, GONG Bar derives it’s name from “dougong” – a unique structural element of interlocking wooden brackets, used in traditional Chinese architecture and which is also featured in the bar.